2019 USA/Canada Commencement Report
NCN News compiled the following list of spring commencement reports from each of the Nazarene institutions of higher education on the USA/Canada Region:
Ambrose University
President: Gordon Smith
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Web: ambrose.edu
Date of Graduation Exercises: 27 April
Commencement Speakers: Santa Ono for undergraduate ceremony, Greg Hochhalter for seminary, and Ken Badley for education
Number of Graduates: 176
Fast Facts: Convocation events were held on campus and broadcast live over the Internet ... Video.
Eastern Nazarene College
President: Jack Connell
Location: Quincy, Massachusetts
Web: enc.edu
Date of Graduation Exercises: 4 May
Commencement Speaker: Jack Connell
Number of Graduates: 193
Fast Facts: This was ENC's 97th Spring Commencement ... The commencement ceremony was held on the main ENC campus lawn ... The event was broadcast live over the internet ... Video.
MidAmerica Nazarene University
President: David Spittal
Location: Olathe, Kansas
Web: mnu.edu
Dates of Commencement Exercises: 5 May
Commencement Speakers: Captain Tammie Jo Shults, pilot of SW Air 1380
Number of Graduates: 614
Fast Facts: MNU's 48th annual commencement was held in two ceremonies ... The status of professor emeritus was awarded to Mary Fry, professor of counselor education; Arvin Oke, professor of psychology; and Kelvin St. John, professor of spiritual formation ... Assistant Professor of Counselor Education Andrew Secor received the Robert Brower Award for excellence in teaching in Professional and Graduate Studies ... The honorary doctorate was awarded to Captain Tammie Jo Shults, a 1983 graduate of MNU ... Photos.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
President: Henry Spaulding II
Location: Mount Vernon, Ohio
Web: mvnu.edu
Date of Graduation Exercises: 3 May
Commencement Speaker: C. Todd Jones, J.D., president and general counsel of the Association of Independent College and Universities of Ohio
Number of Graduates: 433
Fast Facts: This was MVNU's 59th Commencement ... Bailey Phillips and Guillermo Morales were awarded the Service Above Self Award ... Assistant Professor of Psychology Carla Swallow was recognized with the Excellence in Teaching Award ... Full Story.
Nazarene Bible College
President: Harold Graves Jr.
Web: nbc.edu
Dates of Graduation Exercises: 26 May
Commencement Speaker: J. Phillip Fuller, Virginia district superintendent, chairman of the NBC Board of Trustees
Number of Graduates: 88
Fast Facts: This was NBC’s 50th Spring Commencement ... Commencement activities were held at Colorado Springs First Church of the Nazarene ... The college awarded 73 Bachelor of Arts in Ministry degrees, five Associate of Arts in Ministry degrees, and 10 Ministry Preparation Program Certificates ... Charles Tillman Sr. received honorary Doctor of Divinity ... Students shared their testimonies during NBC's Torch Ceremony tradition, symbolizing the continuing mission of NBC to fulfill Christ's Great Commission ... Full Story ... Video.
Northwest Nazarene University
President: Joel Pearsall
Location: Nampa, Idaho
Web: nnu.edu
Date of Graduation Exercises: 5 May
Commencement Speaker: Randy Craker, NNU Board of Trustees chair
Number of Graduates: 564
Fast Facts: This was the university's 103rd commencement ceremony ... Missionary Hughlon Friberg was awarded an Honorary Degree Citation ... Full Story
Nazarene Theological Seminary
President: Jeren Rowell
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Web: nts.edu
Date of Graduation Exercises: 4 May
Commencement Speaker: Sam Vassal, Metro New York district superintendent
Number of graduates: 53
Fast Facts: This was the 73rd Spring Commencement at NTS ... Commencement activities were held in the J. B. Memorial Chapel on campus ... The 53 graduates of the Class of 2019 received degrees as follows: 12 Master of Arts, 35 Master of Divinity, and six Doctor of Ministry ... Twenty master-level certificates and three post-graduate certificates were awarded at the ceremony ... This year’s graduates represented four countries: USA, Canada, Bolivia, and Panama ... Photos ... Full Story.
Olivet Nazarene University
President: John Bowling
Location: Bourbonnais, Illinois
Web: olivet.edu
Date of Graduation Exercises: 11 May
Commencement Speakers: John Bowling
Number of Graduates: 1,445
Fast Facts: This was Olivet's 106th annual commencement ... There was a reception honoring the 16 Honors Program graduates ... There were 638 bachelor's degrees, 153 adult studies bachelor’s degrees, 654 master’s degrees, and 14 doctorate degrees conferred ... Full story ... Video.
Point Loma Nazarene University
President: Bob Brower
Location: San Diego, California
Web: pointloma.edu
Date of Graduation Exercises: 3-4 May
Commencement Speaker: Nicole Cosby, program director, Master of Science in Athletic Training and associate professor of Kinesiology at PLNU
Number of Graduates: 1,208
Fast Facts: Festivities began on Friday afternoon in the historic Greek Amphitheatre on PLNU's campus with the first of two Graduate and Professional Studies convocations … there was a total of four ceremonies throughout the weekend for undergraduate, graduate and professional student graduates … Friday’s ceremony included the first cohort of graduates in PLNU’s new Doctor of Nursing Practice ... In addition to Cosby’s “Making the Point” message, Saturday’s Undergraduate Commencement Ceremonies featured the University Concert Choir, and honored George Latter, PLNU’s vice president for Finance and Administrative Service, with an Honorary Doctor of Laws in celebration of his retirement after 31 years of service to his alma mater... Web page.
Southern Nazarene University
President: J. Keith Newman
Location: Bethany, Oklahoma
Web: snu.edu
Date of Graduation Exercises: 11 May
Commencement Speaker: Daniel Gomis, Africa regional director
Number of Graduates: 480
Fast Facts: This was SNU's 116th Spring Commencement ... The President’s Award was presented to Sadie Shaull Crouch and Bradley Crouch ... The Servant Leader award was presented to Emma Rhodes Schulteis and Madison Mullins ... Daniel Gomis was recognized by the SNU Board of Trustees with the conferring of the Honorary Doctor of Divinity degree ... The morning ceremony concluded with the 86-year-old tradition of Ivy Ring, as this year’s graduates gathered around the Lamp of Learning on the central campus mall ... Photos ... Full story.
Trevecca Nazarene University
President: Dan Boone
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Web: trevecca.edu
Date of Graduation Exercises: 4 May
Commencement Speaker: Richard Parrott, Trevecca professor of leadership studies
Number of Graduates: 1,140
Fast Facts: This was Trevecca's 118th commencement ... The university named retiring University Provost Steve Pusey the recipient of the Diakonos Award ... Pusey and retiring faculty members Mary Ann Meiners and Ruth Kinnersley were awarded emeritus status ... Photos.